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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. craft — a skill
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. court — of a king
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. fork — in a road
  7. branch — a division
  8. stem — to come from
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. root — of a plant
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. date — the fruit
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. court — for sport
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. root — of a word
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. craft — boats
  22. root — the cause
  23. court — of law
  24. craft — a handicraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com